Hunters should be on the lookout for Chronic Wasting Disease in Florida deer

If you plan hunt deer outside of Florida this year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants to remind you of state laws designed to keep chronic wasting disease from entering our state.

Chronic wasting disease is a contagious, neurological disease that has been found in captive and wild deer in 26 states, three Canadian provinces and in South Korea.

The disease is always fatal in deer but does not seem to affect people. 

Hunters need to know that it is against the law to bring whole carcasses of any deer, moose, or elk into Florida from any of the states where Chronic wasting disease has been found. 

It is OK, however, to bring deboned meat and finished taxidermy mounts into Florida as well as tanned hides, cleaned skulls, antlers and teeth from any of these places, as long as all soft tissue has been removed.

The State is also continuing to monitor Florida’s deer herd for Chronic Wasting Disease and asks that if anyone sees a sickly, extremely skinny deer that you report it immediately to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission.

Since 2002, the state has tested nearly 13,000 hunter-killed, road-killed and sick/diseased deer for CWD.

There is a toll-free hotline you can use at 866-293-9282. 

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